Machine tool with automatic tool changing means

ABSTRACT

A machine tool having an automatic tool changing means and which is constructed and arranged to carry out a variety of machining operations, such as milling, drilling, boring, tapping and the like. The machine includes a rotary, 4-position index work table which is carried on two movable, perpendicularly disposed slide members to provide movement of the work table along &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;X&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; and &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;Z&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; axes. A tool spindle assembly is slidably mounted on a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;Y&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; axis between two column members with a tool spindle, spindle drive motor, gear box, tachometer and resolver mounted in axial alignment with each other for movement as a unit along said Y axis. A tool storage conveyor is disposed horizontally on said column members above the tool spindle assembly and for moving tools into a tool changing position above the tool spindle. A tool changer means is mounted between the column members and between the tool spindle assembly and the tool storage conveyor for automatically transferring tools directly between the tool storage conveyor and the tool spindle.

United States Patent 1191 Bondie et al.

[ MACHINE TOOL WITH AUTOMATIC TOOL CHANGING MEANS [75] Inventors: DaleJ. Bondie, Fowlerville; Robert S. Sutton, Franklin; James D. Lewelling,Birmingham, all of Mich.

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 166,886, July 28,1971, Pat. No.

[451 Oct.22, 1974 Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz AssistantExaminer-Z, R. Bilinsky Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James H. Bower;Mitchell J. Hill 5 7 ABSTRACT A machine tool having an automatic toolchanging means and which is constructed and arranged to carry out avariety of machining operations, such as milling, drilling, boring,tapping and the like. The machine includes a rotary, 4-position indexwork table which is carried on two movable, perpendicularly disposedslide members to provide movement of the work table along X and Z axes.A tool spindle assembly is slidably mounted on a Y" axis between twocolumn members with a tool spindle, spindle drive motor, gear box,tachometer and resolver mounted in axial alignment with each other formovement as a unit along said Y axis. A tool storage conveyor isdisposed horizontally on said column members above the tool spindleassembly and for moving tools into a tool changing position above thetool spindle. A tool changer means is mounted between the column membersand between the tool spindle assembly and the tool storage conveyor forautomatically transferring tools directly e n, e t teree senveyer @1 5 h9 s n.- dle.

1 Claim, 57 Drawing Figures [52] US. Cl. 90/11 D, 408/239 A [51] Int.Cl. B23c 5/26 [58] Field of Search 90/11 A, 11 D; 408/239 A; 29/26 A,568

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,667,819 2/1954 DeVlieg90/11 D 2,924,152 2/1960 Zettler 90/1 1 D 3,038,386 6/1962 Parske et al.90/11 D 3,374,711 3/1968 Saunders.. 90/11 D 3,478,419 11/1969 Cupler,.g9/ 3,520,228 7/1970 Wohlfeil 90/11 D 3,587,359 6/1971 McCash 29/568 Xm4; we

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1. In a machine tool, the combination comprising: a. a machine base; b.a pair of laterally spaced columns mounted on said base; c. a toolspindle assembly including:
 1. a rotatable, horizontally disposed toolspindle movably mounted on vertical ways on said columns; a. said toolspindle is a tubular spindle in which is rotatively mounted a draw barprovided with a draw bolt on its front end for clamping a tool in thespindle;
 2. an orbit fluid motor for rotating said draw bar;
 3. asplined coupling means for connecting the orbit fluid motor to said drawbar;
 4. an electric clutch operatively connecting said orbit fluid motorto said splined coupling means;
 5. a spring means for normally biasingsaid draw bar forwardly toward an operative engagement with a toolholder mounted in said tool spindle;
 6. said spindle assembly furtherincludes a pressure operated switch means operatively connected to saidorbit fluid motor for de-energizing said electric clutch when the fluidpressure in said motor rises to a predetermined level when the draw baris rotated for clamping a tool holder in the tool spindle;
 7. a geardrive means operatively connected to said tool spindle;
 8. a drive motoroperatively connected to said gear drive means;
 9. a spindle positionsensing means operatively connected to said tool spindle; and d. powerdrive means operatively connected to said spindle for moving saidspindle assembly along said vertical ways, said gear drive means, drivemotor and spindle position sensing means being movable as a unit.
 2. anorbit fluid motor for rotating said draw bar;
 3. a splined couplingmeans for connecting the orbit fluid motor to said draw bar;
 4. anelectric clutch operatively connecting said orbit fluid motor to saidsplined coupling means;
 5. a spring means for normally biasing said drawbar forwardly toward an operative engagement with a tool holder mountedin said tool spindle;
 6. said spindle assembly further includes apressure operated switch means operatively connected to said orbit fluidmotor for de-energizing said electric clutch when the fluid pressure insaid motor rises to a predetermined level when the draw bar is rotatedfor clamping a tool holder in the tool spindle;
 7. a gear drive meansoperatively connected to said tool spindle;
 8. a drive motor operativelyconnected to said gear drive means;
 9. a spindle position sensing meansoperatively connected to said tool spindle; and d. power drive meansoperatively connected to said spindle for moving said spindle assemblyalong said vertical ways, said gear drive means, drive motor and spindleposition sensing means being movable as a unit.